


Kindergarten

by writermegs17



Series: The Ellie Chronicles [5]
Category: Smallville, Superman - All Media Types
Genre: F/M, Family Fluff, Fluff, Parent-Child Relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-09
Updated: 2019-09-09
Packaged: 2020-10-13 00:37:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,937
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20573567
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/writermegs17/pseuds/writermegs17
Summary: It's Ellie's first day of Kindergarten and it proves to be a big day in the Lane-Kent household.





	Kindergarten

Clark Kent would be lying if he told anyone that he was ready for Ellie’s first day of school, truthfully, he was scared to death for her. Lois told him frequently that all parents must be this worried before their child’s first day of school, but that did little to ease his mind. Ellie’s powers weren’t as vast as his, but she was still very vulnerable about them. He found solace in the fact that Ellie was very smart and outgoing, maybe that would make school easier for her than it was for him. Ellie, unlike her parents, was very excited about kindergarten. At least that’s what Clark thought before he tried to wake her up that morning.

“Ellie, sweetheart, wake up, you have to get ready for school.” He tells her.

“I’m not going.” Ellie says seriously.

“Baby, you have to. I thought you were excited?”

Ellie shrugs “I was, but I’m not anymore.”

“You’re gonna love school, I promise. It’s a lot of fun and I bet you’ll be one of the smartest kids in your class.” 

“But Daddy, I’m scared. What if I mess up and somebody finds out about me, and then they figure out you’re Superman? It’ll be all my fault.” Ellie sobs.

“Honey, it’s okay if you mess up at school. I did when I was your age, and everybody was either too busy playing or listening to the teacher to even notice, and it’s not your fault if anybody finds about me, ever. I could never be mad at you for that, okay?” Clark says, wiping her tears away with his thumb

“You promise?”

“Absolutely, now, come downstairs for breakfast. I made you your favorite.”

Elie grins “You made the bacon smiley face pancake with strawberries and whipped cream, but it’s not Saturday or a holiday?”

“It’s still a special day. Ellie Bean. It’s your first day of real school, you’re a big girl.”

“But Daddy, you said I’d always be your baby, so did Mommy.”

Clark beams, Ellie was such a sweet little girl. “You’ll always be_ our _baby. That doesn’t mean you’ll be a baby forever, as much as we all hate it, you have to grow up.”

“When I’m a grownup, I wanna be a reporter, like you and Mommy.”

“I hope your articles are more like your mommy’s than mine, Sweetheart. Not too many people like mine”

“Well, _I _like them.”

“Thank you, baby girl.”

Lois sneaks up behind both of them, offering kisses on the cheek. “Don’t encourage him, Peanut, he’ll slack off and we absolutely can’t have that.” she says

“Hey, you’re teaching her to gang up on me. That’s not fair.”

“Don’t be so worried, she’s her Daddy’s girl anyway. Lucy and mom, and me used to gang up on our dad all the time, and he’s our favorite human.”

“As long as I get to be you and Ellie’s favorite non-human, I’ll be alright.

Lois beams. “Always.” She promises, and then she kisses him, it’s about to become one of _those _kisses, but then Ellie interrupts them. “You guys are _always _kissing.” She deadpans.

“Not always, Peanut. Now, save the same sass for that dumb boy who might try to kiss you on the playground.” Lois says ruffling her daughter’s hair.

“Lois, she’s five. No one’s going to do that.”

“Oh please Clark, like you didn’t try to kiss Lana Lang on the playground when you were five?”

“I never did, I didn’t have the guts.”

“Sometimes, I forget how shy you were, and it makes me fall in love with you over and over again.”

“Mommy, can you stop making googly eyes at daddy and do my hair?” Ellie says, rolling her eyes

“Yeah, I guess I can, for you, but only if you take down the snarky anti-love remarks down a notch, kiddo.”

Clark smiles. “She gets it honest.”

“Yeah, she does. Her teacher’s in for it, and so are we.” Lois says, quickly heading for Ellie’s room, before she gets the chance to be snarky again.

Thirty minutes later Ellie skips down the stairs in her sunny yellow t-shirt dress and white high-top sneakers. It made Clark want to cry seeing how grown up she looks in that outfit with her fancy French braids, but before he gets the chance to get misty-eyed, Ellie beams at him with enthusiasm.

“Daddy! Look at my French braids, they’re so pretty!” She squeals

“You look so grown up, you could make me cry.” Clark tells her, kissing her on the cheek.

“Daddy, don’t cry, I’ll only be gone a few hours, it’s not like I’m going to college or anything.”

“Thank goodness, I don’t know what I’d do if you were that big.”

“You’d probably get a dog or something.”

“Alright you goof, get your backpack so we can go, we can’t be late for your first day!”

XXX

As soon as she gets out of the car at school, Ellie runs to hug her father’s legs as tears run down her cheeks. “Ellie, what’s wrong, baby girl?” He asks, very concerned at his daughter’s sudden change in temperament.

“I’m scared. I don’t wanna go to school anymore, I wanna stay with you.”

“Sweetheart, you can’t stay with me, you have to go to school, and it’s okay that you’re scared, I promise.

“But Daddy!”

“Ellie, what is it you aren’t telling me?” Clark probes gently, a little afraid of her answer.

“I don’t like having a secret, I don’t anybody to be mean or hurt me if I mess up.”

“Oh Honey, I know. I know how scary this is for you, but if anything happens Daddy’ll fix it, alright?” 

“Okay, I’m sorry. I love you.”

“Baby, you don’t have to be sorry. I know you’re trying to be a big brave girl. You are going to be alright, but we’ll stay right here in the parking lot until you’re ready, okay?”

“Okay. You promise you won’t leave until I say goodbye?”

“Of course, now why don’t you try and smile that pretty smile I love so much?”

Ellie nods, her lips turned up into a half smile while she wipes her tears away. “Okay. I’m ready.”

“That’s my girl.” 

Clark let’s Ellie hold his hand until she excitedly let’s go when she finds her cubby with her name on it. She runs back afterwards to give him a hug and she’s never felt him squeeze her back so tightly, she liked how safe it makes her feel.

“Okay Sweetheart, I have to go now, but I know you’re gonna have the best day, I’ll pick you up after school and you can tell me all about it, okay? Be good, I love you.”

“Love you too, Daddy.” Ellie says and then Lois bends down next to her, having made sure to have given her two favorite people their own little moment before lettering herself say goodbye.

“Okay peanut, you make sure to show the world how smart you are, alright? I love you, my brave little girl.”

“I love you too, Mommy. I’ll miss you.” Ellie promises, kissing her mother on the cheek and waving as her parents walk out the door.

Clark hates leaving Ellie by herself in a strange place with new people, his worst fear is his little girl being exposed for being special, but he couldn’t let her know that, she was already terrified enough as is. Lois must sense his dilemma because she takes his hand and looks at him with a comforting warmth. “Don’t let your eyes linger on her, love. It’ll only make things harder for you.” She says.

“I’m just worried about her, I’ve never seen her so scared, she’s usually so fearless, like you.”

“Like _us_.”

“Maybe most of the time, but not today, today I’m just as scared as she is. I can’t stand the thought of someone exposing our little girl, she’s five and she’s special, and maybe she’ll get hurt because of it. That breaks my heart.”

“I know, it scares me too, but our daughter is quite the force to be reckoned with, she’ll be okay, we raised her to be braver than both us combined.”

“Why are you always right?”

“Because I know you so well, call it my superpower.”

Clark smirks slightly before letting out a very audible sigh. “God, I wish we didn’t have to work today, and we could stay in our little sad parent bubble.”

“I called in for us while Ellie was clinging to your legs, in that moment I knew both of us would be too nervous about her to accomplish anything productive.”

“How’d we let her get so big?”

Lois smiles, resting her head on Clark’s shoulder as she slings her arm around him. “We blinked.”

XXX

After school Ellie runs up to her parents’ car as soon as she sees them. “Mommy! Daddy! I missed you!” She squeals 

“Oh Ellie Bean, I missed you more! Did you have a good day at school?” Clark asks her, picking her up and twirling her around.

“The best day, nobody was mean, and I made lots of friends.”  
“Thank goodness! I’m so glad you had a good day.”  
“Yeah, and like five boys had you on their backpacks.”

Clark smiles, and Lois turns to glance quizzically at her daughter. “Did any of these boys try to kiss you?” She asks.

“No, and I would have punched them if they did.”

“That’s my girl, I taught you well, Peanut.”

Clark gives Lois a pointed look. “I thought we didn’t promote violence in the Lane-Kent household?”

“Well, you’re right, but punching a kid for non-consensually trying to kiss her can be filed under self-defense.” Lois argues.

“Valid point, she’s well equipped to defend herself.”

“Not like anyone would get away with it, I can run faster than half of the boys in my class anyway.” Ellie declares.

“Thank goodness.” Clark says, he’s smiling so wide at her Lois like sass that he can’t bring himself to warn her to watch how fast she runs. Ellie was proud of her abilities at a much younger age than when he became proud of his own, and he was so grateful for that.

When they finally make it back to the house, Ellie hurriedly takes a picture she drew at school out of her book bag. “Look! I drew this picture of our family at school! She exclaims.

“I don’t know where you get it, Peanut, but you’re a regular Picasso.” Lois says with a big smile.

“Yeah, Ellie, this so good, I’m putting it on the fridge, so Mommy and I don’t fight over who gets to display it on their desk.” Clark agreed.

“Daddy, look in the corner. It’s a secret part of the drawing just for our family.” Ellie insists. 

Clark is puzzled for a moment, but when he finally sees what Ellie did, he smiles and kisses her tiny forehead “Oh my sweet, sweet, Elinor. You put my secret identity in our family portrait, you are such a clever little girl, and you’re gonna make your old man cry.”

“But I hate it when you cry.”

“Then I won’t, but I’m just so proud of you, you’re getting so big and smart. What am I going to do when you are all grown up?”  
Ellie just smiles. “Don’t you remember, Daddy? I’ll always be your baby.” At their daughter’s sweet reminder, Clark and Lois pull Ellie in for a hug. Even after five incredible years of her in their universe, it amazed them how incredible she was, she’s truly their greatest adventure.

  



End file.
